


just this time

by crooked_theory



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 17:02:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16350638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crooked_theory/pseuds/crooked_theory
Summary: "let's not share room," that's what the older boy had said earlier.mingyu shuffled in his shoes, drenched and sticky from the rain outside the hotel. he actually didn't forget the umbrella but his long limbs just failed to coordinate in the right time and place,  clumsily fell over the roofless parking lot and taking tolls on his t-shirt, jeans and shoes.he didn't dare to knock, remembering what has previously decided, but his suitcase still in the room along with his supposedly roommate for tonight. (or maybe other member already put his suitcase somewhere? he had no idea since he was pulled to his solo mc schedule right after they came.)





	just this time

"let's not share room," that's what the older boy had said earlier. 

mingyu shuffled in his shoes, drenched and sticky from the rain outside the hotel. he actually didn't forget the umbrella but his long limbs just failed to coordinate in the right time and place, clumsily fell over the roofless parking lot and taking tolls on his t-shirt, jeans and shoes.  


he didn't dare to knock, remembering what has previously decided, but his suitcase still in the room along with his supposedly roommate for tonight. (or maybe other member already put his suitcase somewhere? he had no idea since he was pulled to his solo mc schedule right after they came.)  


so he knocked, once. twice.  


the door opened and he surprised himself at how many times his own world would stop for a while whenever he saw jeonghan. that the older boy would still look breathtaking no matter what ugly hour it was.

"what happened to you?"  
he didn't expect the older boy to sound actually concerned, but it made him snapped from his little oh-god-jeonghan-in-pajamas bubble.

"i... fell?"  
he was kinda shocked when he realized that he was actually being pulled by the older boy and just let out an "oomph" from the fluffy towel shoved on his hair.

he didn't remember what jeonghan said next because he was thrown into the bathroom unceremoniously, but all in all, he saw a pair of clean clothes and slipper after he finished showering so he thought he'll sleep here tonight. a little bit unbelievable perhaps, jeonghan would never shared a hotel room with him unless apocalypse is coming. but hey, he didn't question anything else since this was secretly what he was hoping.

"don't play music or asmr whatsoever," he heard jeonghan muttered from the other bed; sounded a little tired but not sleepy, the way his voice missed the usual raspiness when the night has fallen deep. he still remember when they were still on bunker bed just few years prior, the older boy would tell him bed time stories --sometimes just total absurd plot and made-up fairy tales, or bittersweet love story-- regardless, his dreamy voice would lulled him to sleep.

mingyu's own bed was still intact with his suitcase opened beside it. his phone was charged and he had nothing to do now. he was always bad with silence, on the contrary, the other enjoyed it. he laughed a little at the thought; they were never similar after all. but what about it, he thought, they'd still go everywhere together (clearly with presence of another member though). but tonight? no one could tell how many times he wished the universe would just randomly put them together in one space and time and just forget about the dissimilarity that bounds them like a curse. 

_what about it, if i'd still fall in love with you._

"you've been strangely quiet,"  
he heard the other said again, softer this time. 

mingyu let out a small laugh, sitting on his bed instead of laying down. what should he say? how many years of luck he spent to get this chance. just to be with him, the two of them, without any other eleven people get in his way? but then he won't be able to do anything, or, precisely, he didn't know what to do in the first place. at this wee hours, in a hotel room. perhaps he already get used to looking out for him from afar. making distance, consciously drifting away, while in the same time his body rejected all the attempts and just reaching for the other's like gravity. same cycle over again, rinse, repeat. 

"i miss you,"  
\--okay, maybe it wasn't what he wanted to actually say. or maybe it was? well, not this time and he cursed his brain for never functioning properly in such occasion. who in the world would make a reply like that for god's sake--  


"--i mean, we used to be roommate. and yeah. we never really um, talk, nowadays?"

the silence that followed was his best effort to not punch himself in the head because, what the fuck kim mingyu? way to prolong your luck and get another chance of being in the same hotel room again. he raised one hand helplessly to cover his face and looking at the bed beside his.

jeonghan was looking at him with unreadable expression. even in the dim light, he could see the other's mouth opened a little, like he wanted to say something, eyes lidded and soft. (or maybe he was just sleepy).

mingyu brought his hand from his face, went up to comb his hair with his fingers. sighing a little. "i blabbered, sorry, i'm just tired." he added. not a lie though, his solo mc schedule started in the afternoon and ended so late in the evening after two meetings with two different broadcast companies. 

jeonghan didn't say anything and just keep staring at him. mingyu avoided his gaze. it was somewhat heavy but there's a hint of sadness in the other's eyes. unknown, uncommon. and now that the room was completely silent, both of them could hear the faint sound of rain.

one, ten seconds of silence. mingyu pulled up his blanket and plopped his head to the pillow, sighing. he felt a sudden relieve like a steam of tiredness has gone from his skin to the air. he forgot how tired his body was until now.

he might sleep like this. amidst the awkward air between them, the ball wasn't in his court anymore. it's up to jeonghan to reply or not. he wondered, though, how it always turned out like this for them. like, he couldn't get it, how many times he messed up and their conversation went to wrong way. like a wall between him and jeonghan. he knew his crush was one-sided, since a long time ago, but the gap gets even bigger after all those frenemy narrative. all image and reality got blurry and time's no longer simple, resulting him didn't actually know what to expect, what to do or say, what was real, what was scripted... and all he could do was just get through all of it.

"i miss you too, you know."

and mingyu's train of thought just stop at that. at that moment, only by jeonghan's soft words. he turned to face jeonghan so fast his neck might snap. 

jeonghan smiled at him (or at his pained expression due to the sharp pang on his neck muscles) and actually let out a little laugh, "now you look dumb."

mingyu felt a blush creeping on his face and, oh, how many times jeonghan would smile at this wee hours? zero to never, considering the older boy's temper and endless tiredness and all. 

so he could only blink and stare in awe at the sight, hoping that jeonghan could understand that if he keep smiling like this, there's a chance mingyu would get a heart attack at how fast his heart is beating.

and what he didn't expect next due to his inability to function for a moment, was how jeonghan actually slide off the other bed, and then he felt his own bed dipped at the new weight. he snapped back to the earth after greeted by jeonghan's back pressed to his chest firmly and he was just. losing it.

"what's happening--"

jeonghan settled at his arm, chuckled a little, "sleep now, mingyu-ya. you need that."

mingyu was stunned. all he can see was the crown of the other's head and his hair (that smell so very, very good). he had a bed full of jeonghan on his arm, warm and pliant. and he felt a sudden rush of feelings he couldn't even describe. his heart beating hard in his chest, too full, threatening to just pour out all over. all just too much.

his breath was caught in his throat. suffocating. overwhelming. he didn't know that his breath was staggered and his body was all tense until jeonghan turned around on his arm and looked at him in the eye.

"breathe, mingyu. it's okay. it's just me."

warm palm cupped his cheek and mingyu tried to let out a slow, small breath. calmed himself down. and after two minutes or so, he finally breathe a little easier. 

"it's not 'just you'..."

they looked at each other, find themselves in each other's eyes. emotion raw, honest and something just there. unexplainable. but it was there. language of similarity despite all their contrast difference. what was that? what has universe done tonight? above the rain, did the constellation just aligned right? or some kind of magical practice mixing in the midnight rain from an unknown wizard in a faraway land? 

their foreheads touched, and suddenly they breathed on each other's air. the sound of rain outside their little world played like a music in their ears. 

mingyu didn't know what he think about... he didn't know. he's just closed his eyes, let the hand on his cheek stroking him slowly, sweetly. 

if this moment wouldn't last long, the only thing he could do was to savor every second of it. the warmth, the soft touch, and tried his best to record it on his mind.

but jeonghan had took his hand away from his cheek and mingyu opened his eyes. this is the end of it, he thought, and prepared himself from the lost of warmth. except that the hand sneaked into his waist and the older boy snuggled on to his neck.

"just this time?"

mingyu pulled the older boy as his reply, embracing him in the way it still comfortable for them yet tight enough to hear each other's breath.

he buried his face on jeonghan's hair. breathing there. 

"just this time."

**Author's Note:**

> this ship made me write something after roughly four years of hiatus. last thing i wrote on AFF was kyuhyun/eunhyuk and luhan/xiumin on LJ. now this. my first time posting in ao3. gyuhan! that superior angsty pair with different tendencies but once they glance at each other, bam! heart eyes. find me on twitter @airheadpup :)


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